Nimbus
by Coriannee
Summary: When two new endowed girls sisters, Evangeline and Sapphire Nimbus arrive at Bloors, romance stirs and secrets are revealed. I know it sounds cliche, but please read! Tancred&OC, Gabril&OC FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Note: This story takes place when Charlie, Fido, and gang are fifteen, which means that Lysander and Tancred are sixteen, and Manfred is 19-21.

"You've got everything you need?" their father, Darius, asked right before they all got into the car.

"Yes, Dad. We've got everything. I've got my clarinet, Sapphire's got her sketch book. We're good." Evangeline told her father, sweeping the stray pieces of red hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear.

"You've got _everything_?" Darius asked, once more.

"God, Dad, they've got everything!" Liam, their twenty-year-old brother, said from the door frame where he was watching.

"Dad, we've got everything." Sapphire reassured him.

"Alright. Let's go." Darius said, starting up the car.

"Bloor's, here we come." Sapphire said from the backseat of the small car.

Sapphire was the average fifteen-year-old. Other than the fact that she could change the color of anything at will. She was perky and energetic and usually spent at the least, two hours in front of the mirror.

Evangeline, morely called Evie, was sixteen and was the oppisite of her sister. She usually had her mind buried in a book and spent at the most, thirty minutes in front of the mirror. She was down to earth and organized. She could also change her appearance at will, not like a shape-shifter, only her facial appearance.

There were some similarities between the sisters though. They had both inherited their mother's deep red hair and their father's bright blue eyes. Though Evangeline had freckles dotted across her cheeks and nose, Sapphire had their mother's amazing bone structure.

The ride was silent. Sapphire had taken to humming and Evangeline was drumming her fingers on her thigh.

"Girls, I'll see you on Friday. Please meet up before you get on to the different buses." Darius told them as they each took their bag from the trunk.

"Bye, Dad. We love you." they said waving goodbye.

They watched as he drove away.

"Ready?" Sapphire asked.

Evangeline only nodded, looking at the gray school with dread.

- -

"Who's the new girl?" Fidelio Gunn asked his best friend, Charlie Bone at assembly.

"No idea. I hope she's endowed, but not evil." Charlie commented. "Gabriel, have you talked to her?"

"No." Gabriel Silk said.

"To your sections!" Dr. Saltweather roared.

When the three boys looked over to where they'd seen the girl, they was already gone.

- -

"The new girl's name is Evangeline Nimbus, age fifteen. She has a sister, in Art named Sapphire, age fourteen." Fidelio said as he ran up to Charlie and Gabriel at break.

"Oh, so you've talked to her?" Charlie asked.

"Sort of. I talked to Evangeline, I bumped into her. She's actually very pretty." Fidelio commented.

Just then they spotted the two new girls.

They were standing at the other side of the garden, talking with Olivia Vertigo and Emma Tolly.

"Hey!" Olivia said, running up to them, a minute later.

Today her hair was bright purple with streaks of bright pink.

"Have you met the new girls?" she asked.

"I have, very briefly." Fidelio said, raising his hand.

"Well, come on then. You'll love them!" she said running back over to the new girls.

Fidelio, Gabriel, and Charlie followed slowly. While they were walking, Lysander Sage and Tancred Torsson fell into step with them.

"Where are we going?" Lysander asked.

"Meeting the new girls." Charlie said briefly.

"Oh."

"Evie, Sapphire, this is Charlie, Fido, Gabriel, Lysander, and Tancred. Guys, meet Evie and Sapphire." Olivia said pointing to each of them as she went.

"So, are you two endowed?" Tancred asked, always the outgoing one.

"Yeah. Wanna see?" Sapphire asked, but didn't wait for an answer.

She took the corner of her blue cape in her hand and stared at it.

"See, now I'm in Drama." she said, dropping the corner of her cape which was now the exact shade of deep purple as Olivia's.

"Wow, impressive." Tancred said, a cool breeze shifting through the warm air. "What about you?" he asked, turning his attention to Evangeline.

"Yeah. But I'd rather not." she said shyly.

"Come on, Evie. You could do some totally awesome things with your endowment." Sapphire said.

"I could, but I'm not going to." Evie told her sister.

"Oh, come on." Tancred begged.

"You never let up, do you?" Evie asked him. He smirked and shook his head. "Fine." she said and closed her eyes.

Just as Tancred was about to question her actions, her hair turned spiky yellow, to match his.

"So, you're like a ... shape-shifter?" Charlie asked, shuddering as he thought about 'Belle Donner'.

"No. I'm not sure what it's called. I can just change my appearance. Face wise." she explained, her eyes closed as she turned her hair back to its normal color and length.

"So, what do you _really_ look like?" Tancred asked.

"This is what I really look like. I don't do it often. I always had the best halloween costume though." she smiled.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling Break was over.

- -

"Everybody sit down and shut up!" Manfred shouted in the King's Room that night. "We have two new girls. Evangeline and Sapphire Nimbus. Now everybody, get to work."

So there they sat. Sapphire beside Emma, Evangeline beside Sapphire, Tancred beside Evangeline.

"So, nimbus is a type of cloud." Tancred whispered to Evie.

"Oh really, I did not know that." she whispered back, not looking up from her textbook.

"Yeah, well, I can control the clouds. We're made for each other." he said.

"Not necesarily me. Just someone whose last name is Nimbus. My sister does have the same name as me. I'm one-hundred percent sure she'd love to have a guy who's head is so big that it's amazing that he can hold it up straight." she hissed. He chuckled lowly and got back to work.

"Alright, you can go." Manfred said two hours later.

"Hey, Evie!" someone called after her in the hall.

"There's no talking in the hall, Tancred." she said, looking straight ahead and not at him as he fell into step with her.

"I'm sorry if I came on a bit strong."

"You were hitting on me. You're not sorry." She said, finally glancing over at him.

"You're right. I'm not."

"Wow, look who decided to own up!" she said sarcasticly clapping her hand.

"Fine. G'night." he said, speeding up ahead of her.

She smirked to herself and continued to her dormitory.

- -

"Hey Olivia?" Evangeline asked as they got ready for bed.

"Yeah?" Olivia asked, brushing out her hair.

"What's Gabriel's endowment?"

"He can like feel things through clothing." Olivia said.

"That's interesting." Sapphire commented.

"So, Fidelio's not endowed?" Evie asked.

"Nope. But he is an astounding violinist." Olivia said, crawling into bed. "And Gabriel's a genius on the piano."

"Our brother's a great piano player too." Sapphire said.

"Did he go to Bloor's?"

"No, he did it more privately." Sapphire yawned.

"Well, g'night." Evangeline said, getting into her own bed.

"G'night Evie." Sapphire said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

On Wednesday, during Break, Tancred caught up with Evangeline who was sitting on a bench reading.

"Okay." she said loudly and slammed her book shut. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

"Now do you really want me to do that?" he asked.

"Actually, yes." she nodded. "And why are you so fascinated by me?"

"No clue." he said.

"Please, just leave me alone." she begged.

"Tane, just leave the poor girl alone." Lysander as he walked by. Evangeline smiled her thanks.

"See you later." Tancred said quickly and ran to catch up with his best friend. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"Nothing, just the girl's begging you to leave her alone, why don't you just do it for once." Lysander said.

"You don't seem to care when I hit on other girls. Why is Evangeline so special?"

Lysander didn't answer as they stepped into the hall and he slipped into a classroom.

Tancred leaned up against the wall for a minute until Evangeline came around the corner, two heavy looking books in her arms. She tried to slip past without him seeing her, but it didn't work.

"Tancred, please, just leave me alone." she pleaded, trying to keep her voice low in a whisper.

"No." he said with a smile.

"That's it!" she said loudly. "Why won't you just leave me alone. My god, Tancred!" she shouted.

At that exact moment, Manfred Bloor came around the corner.

"Nimbus, detention. You too, Torsson." Manfred said casually, as though he never got tired of saying it.

"What? NO!" Evangeline shouted at Manfred's back as he continued to walk. "No, he deserves it, he's stalking me! But me, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Good for you." Manfred said without bothering to look back at them.

"Guess it's just me and you this weekend." Tancred said.

"YOU!" Evangeline shouted, pointing her long, slender finger at Tancred. "This is all your fault!" her finger was shaking with anger. The corner of his mouth turned up. "You think this is funny? Well, who asked you!" she said, turning on her heel and walking down the hall, seething with anger.

- -

"You guys better say your goodbyes to Tancred on Friday." Evangeline said as she put her tray down in a huff at dinner.

"Why?" Charlie asked.

"I'm gonna kill him this weekend. He's the reason I have detention. And I will kill him if he doesn't stop stalking me!"

"You have detention?!" Sapphire asked in shock.

"Yes." Evie groaned.

"Well, ask Olivia to try and get detention." Charlie suggested.

"Already did. She has something to do. Same with Emma. Dad would be so mad if we both got detention, so Sapphire's out.

"I'll stay!" Fidelio and Gabriel said in unison then glared at each other.

"Darn, I can't. Concert." Fidelio muttered.

"Then that leaves me. Shouldn't be to hard, Matron hates me." Gabriel shrugged.

"Thanks Gabriel!" Evangeline beamed.

"No problem." he said.

"Great. This means I have to stay alone with Liam Friday night." Sapphire sighed.

"I'll be back Saturday. And where's Dad going to Friday night?" Evie asked.

"Remember, he said that he's going out of town for work related stuff this weekend."

"You know what that means." Evie groaned, "Liam's going to make us clean the house then take all the credit and threaten us that he'll tell Dad who 'really' broke Grandma's urn when it was him in the first place."

"I am not looking forward to this weekend." Sapphire groaned.

"If you want to get out of the house, we could all go to the Pets' Cafe." Charlie suggested.

"Is that the place on Frog Street?" Sapphire asked.

"Yeah. You know it?"

"We've been in there once or twice." Evie said. "But not since our pets died. Liam's doing, no doubt."

"No worries, I usually bring gerbils for everyone." Gabriel said.

"How many gerbils do you have?!" Sapphire asked.

"Now, about sixty-five." Gabriel estimated. Sapphire's jaw dropped.

"So, what do we do during detention?" Evangeline asked.

"We usually do homework in the King's Room. Then if we get done, we usually go exploring." Gabriel said.

"So like, in the attic?" Evie asked.

Gabriel nodded. "Yep."

"Can't wait." Evie said with mock enthousiasm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"What now?" Evangeline asked Friday night as she was the last one to close her textbook in the King's Room.

"What do you want to do?" Gabriel asked. He had been done with his work for an hour now.

"Well, Gabriel, I've heard you're a brilliant piano player. Would you mind playing me a piece?" Evie asked shyly.

"Not at all." Gabriel said, blushing slightly.

Up in the music tower, they ran into Mr. Bone.

"Oh, hi Mr. Bone." Gabriel greeted his teached.

"Why hello, Gabriel. Why haven't you three gone home?" Mr. Bone asked.

"Mr. Bone, this is Evangeline Nimbus. She just started Monday and by Wednesday had detention. I offered to stay at the school with her for detention. I was just going to play a piece for her and Tancred if you don't mind."

"Of course not. Well, Miss Nimbus, you're very lucky to have a friends like Gabriel and Tancred. I'll see you on Monday Gabriel." Mr. Bone said, leaving the tower.

"Charlie's dad, I'm guessing." Evie said.

"Yeah. Until two years ago, he was Mr. Pilgrim. It's a very long story." Gabriel said and started playing.

Evangeline was entranced by the beautiful music. "Amazing." she breathed once he had finished. Gabriel smiled at her praise and blushed. "My brother plays very well, but he's _nowhere_ near this good."

"We better get back to the King's Room. We left our stuff there. If Matron finds it, she'll be sure to go through it." Tancred said, trying to break the connection between Gabriel and Evangeline.

"You're right." Gabriel said standing up abrubtly.

"What's through here?" Evie asked out of curiosity as they passed a dark looking door on their way back.

"Not sure." Tancred said. "Let's check it out."

Evie looked doubtful but went through the door after the boys.

"Why is it so hot in here?" she asked.

"I don't know, but someone's coming." Tancred said.

"In here!" Gabriel said, opening the door to a broom closet and urging them in.

"Ow, you're on my foot Tancred!" Evie hissed.

"Sorry." he muttered.

They stood there for about two minutes hardly daring to breathe when the voices became more distinct, as though the two people were right outside.

"You're sure?" a man asked. It was quite clear that it was Dr. Bloor.

"Yes, Father, I've told you several times." the other said, obviously Manfred. "Silk, Torsson, Bone, and those other goody-two-shoes' have gotten to them already."

"What about the younger one? She might be more easy to persuade. Sapphire, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Evie's breath caught in her throat.

"The older one's hopeless, I believe. Torsson's been following her around like a puppy." Manfred said darkly.

"Very well. Perhaps you should work on the younger one. But either way, you're great-grandfather's not very happy." Dr. Bloor said and there were foot steps and the voices became less distinct until they finally faded away completely.

The three stood in the broom closet for another two minutes, just to be sure.

"Glad to know I'm hopeless." Evie said heatedly once they got back to the main hall on their way to the King's Room.

"Trust me, you're lucky to be hopeless in their perspective." Gabriel told her. "I'd warn your sister if I were you. They'll be likely to go after her. She could either be a very good assett to us, or very bad advantage if they have her."

"But why?" Evangeline asked, very confused.

"The Bloors are evil to put it simply. If they think an endowed kid is worth the trouble, they'll turn them evil. Trust me, I know what it's like." Tancred said gravely.

"Tancred, if you want to help me in any way, please, _please_ keep an eye on Sapphire for me." Evangeline begged him.

"No problem." he said with a smile.

"Thanks." she said, stepping in front of him to stop him. She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek. "There, that's all you'll ever get from me."

She watched as he completly forgot where he was going and he turned around and went up to his dorm.

"Where's Tancred?" Gabriel asked when Evangeline walked into the King's Room with out him.

"He just went up to his dorm. Don't know why though." she shrugged, gathering her books.

"I'll see you in the morning." Gabriel said with a sweet smile and walked out of the King's Room.

"Yeah." Evangeline muttered.

- -

"You guys want a ride?" Evangeline asked.

The two boys looked at each other and shrugged and walked toward the car.

"Where you live, boys?" Sapphire and Evangeline's older brother, Liam asked the boys.

It was Saturday and the kids had been released from the school.

Gabriel told Liam his address from the back seat and Tancred instructed him to just drop him off at Gabriel's.

"What time are we meeting at the Pets' Cafe tomorrow?" Evangeline asked, turning around in her seat to face Gabriel.

"Oh, I don't know. Two?" Gabriel suggested.

"That works." Evangeline smiled and turned around.

"So, boys, why did Evie here get detention?" Liam asked.

"I-" Evangeline started.

"I didn't ask you." Liam shot at her. She gave him a dirty look and slouched down in her seat.

"She shouted in the hall." Gabriel informed Liam.

"And who was she shouting at? Sapphire, no doubt." Liam guessed.

"No, actually, it was me." Tancred admitted.

"Oh." Liam said and chuckled. "That's a change."

"See you tomorrow!" Evangeline waved at Gabriel and Tancred when they got out of the car.

Gabriel waved back and smiled and Tancred just ignored her.

"You like him, don't you?" Liam asked.

"What, who?" she asked.

"The one with the brown hair. Gabriel, I think the blonde called him."

"I do not like him! He's just a friend who offered to stay at the school and help me with Tancred." Evangeline told her brother. "Tancred likes me though and he is so annoying!"

"Are they endowed?"

"Yeah. Tancred can control the weather and ... I'm not sure what I'd call Gabriel."

"I kinda figured Tancred could do weather. That or static the way his hair was crackling." Liam laughed.

"Gabriel plays the paino." Liam raised an eyebrow with interest. "But he's a heck of a lot better than you."

"Oh really?"

"Yup." Evangeline said, unbuckling her seatbelt as they pulled up to the house.

When Evangeline stormed up to her's and Sapphire's room, their friend Michela was sitting on her bed.

"Evie!" Michela cried, hugging Evangeline.

"Michela, hi! How long have you been here?" Evangeline asked sitting down beside Michela on her own bed.

"Only just got here."

"What took so long for you to get home? It's only a ten minute drive. You got out at two. It is now," Sapphire paused to look at her watch, "two fourty-seven."

"We dropped Tancred and Gabriel off at Gabriel's." Evangeline said.

"Speaking of guys, how are they at the school?" Michela asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestivly. Sapphire smirked.

"They are just fine." she said. "Myself, I like Tancred. But he likes Evie. Fidelio and Gabriel like her, too. No body likes me."

"Since when do Gabriel and Fidelio like me?" Evangeline asked.

"Did you _see_ how they both jumped at the chance to stay with you for detention?" Sapphire asked.

"Since when does that happen? All the guys liking Evie, none liking Sapphire." Michela giggled. "But the main question is, is are they cute?" Evangeline blushed.

"Tancred's cute. Fidelio's cute in the puppy way. And Gabriel's just as cute as Tancred." Sapphire said. "So Evie, take your pick. Just, Tancred's mine."

"You can have him. He's stalking me. But I don't know." Evangeline shrugged, "Are you coming with us to the Pets' Cafe tomorrow afternoon?"

"I'm not sure. Is Tancred going?" Sapphire asked.

"I'm pretty sure."

"Do you mind if I come?" Michela asked.

"Not at all. Gabriel's bringing gerbils for everyone who needs one." Evie said.

"Why do you want to come?" Sapphire asked.

"Hello, I want to see the guys!" Michela asked.

"Alright, meet us here at one thirty." Evangeline told her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Hello!" Sapphire said to the group as they walked into the Pets' Cafe the next afternoon. The group waved and said their responces. "Guys, this is Michela. Michela, this is Charlie, Fidelio, Gabriel, Lysander, Olivia, Emma, and oh, I'm sorry. I don't know you."

"I'm Benjamin." the fair haired boy responded.

"And Benjamin." Sapphire finished, pointing to each of them as she said their name.

Michela waved to the group. Sapphire made a point to sit beside Tancred and there were only two more seats left and Michela sat down beside Sapphire causing Evangeline to sit beside Gabriel.

"Ah, Charlie Bone! Norton informed me that you were here." a short, mouse-like man said, coming out of the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Mr. Onimous!" Charlie said.

"Ah, some new faces, I see." Mr. Onimous said noticing Evangeline, Sapphire, and Michela.

"Mr. Onimous, this is Evangeline Nimbus and her sister Sapphire. And this is their friend, Michela." Charlie said.

"Hello!" Sapphire said cheerfully and Evangeline and Michela both waved.

"I am Mr. Orvil Onimous. Now, girls, I want you to know, any friend of Charlie's is always welcome here. If you ever need anything, just stop in." Mr. Onimous informed them.

"Thank you." Sapphire nodded.

"Now, can I get you all anything?" he asked and they all placed their orders.

"My parents suggested that we have a party. In order to 'embrace the new term'. You're all invited." Gabriel said once they'd all finihed eating.

"Sounds like fun." Charlie said.

"Will there be food?" Tancred asked. Everybody looked at him. "What? I'm just asking."

"Yes there will be, I know you love my mother's cooking." Gabriel said.

"We're in." Evangeline and Sapphire said.

"Same here." Emma and Olivia said.

"Us too." Tancred, Lysander and Fidelio said.

"Briliant. We've schedueled it for next Sunday at noon." Gabriel said.

- -

The next week passed by flawlessly. Tancred had given up on Evangeline, though it seemed.

"So, are you and Sapphire still coming on Sunday?" Gabriel asked, taking Evangeline by surprise on Friday right before they all got on the buses to go home.

"Oh, yeah." she said. "You want us to bring anything?"

"Nope, we've got it." Gabriel said with a smile as he allowed Evangeline to step up onto the bus first.

She walked toward the back of the bus and sat down in the seat behind Fidelio and Charlie. Gabriel slid in after her.

"So, what area do you and Sapphire live in?" Gabriel asked.

"Ludwid Avenue. It's so boring. Dad just had to get a house in a neighborhood filled with eighty-year-olds." Evangeline sighed.

"But sixty years ago, those boring eighty-year-olds, were wild twenty-year-olds." Gabriel said.

"Yeah, back in 'the good ol' day', as my grandfather puts it."

"Are Sapphire and Liam your only siblings?"

"Yeah. What about you, any brothers or sisters?"

"Three sisters. April, Mai, and June. They're all younger than me. Don't believe anything they tell you about me." Gabriel warned her.

Evangeline smirked. "What would they tell?"

"Don't know. Just don't believe them." he said as the bus stopped. "My stop. See you Sunday."

"Bye!" She called.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Oh Gabriel, some _girls_ are here!" The girl, who looked to be about twelve, called as she ran off into the house leaving the door open with Evangeline and Sapphire standing outside. "Do they know about your oddness?" they could hear the girl asked. Sapphire and Evangeline looked at each other and giggled.

"I've told you, Mai. Don't call it my oddness!" Gabriel shouted from inside the house.

There was a noise and a cry of "Mom, Gabriel hit me!"

"Did not!" Gabriel shouted as he came to the door and smiled.

"Did you seriously hit her?" Sapphire asked as he beckoned them in.

"Not hard." Gabriel said.

"You know, it's rude to lie to your parents." Evangeline said as she paused when she walked past him.

Just then, he noticed how cute she looked. Her red hair was pulled into a loose bun on the top of her head with several stands hanging down around her face. She had on a little more makeup than what she wore at the academy.

He shrugged. "Every one else's out back." he motioned to a set of sliding glass doors and walked into the kitchen.

"About time you got here." Tancred sighed when they walked out onto the back porch.

"Well, Olivia and Emma aren't here, so we're not the last ones!" Sapphire said.

"Mai, what are you _doing_ out here?" Gabriel snapped at his sister as he set down a tray of drinks.

"Gabriel calm down. I asked her to come out here. How many times have I told you to hit your sisters!" Mrs. Silk scolded as she nodded toward the door to signal for Mai to go back inside the house.

Evangeline smirked as Mai stuck her tounge out at her older brother mockingly as she swept passed him and into the house.

"Hello! You girls must be the Nimbuses. I've been looking forward to meeting you." Mrs. Silk said as she stood up from her chair and walked over to Evangeline and Sapphire.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Silk. I'm Sapphire." Sapphire said, shaking Mrs. Silk's hand.

Just as Evangeline opened her mouth to introduce herself, Mrs. Silk said, "Ah, and you must be Evangeline. Gabriel was right," she looked over at her son, "you are a beauty." It was impossible to tell who blushed a deeper red, Gabriel or Evangeline. Sapphire audibly giggled beside her sister, Tancred coughed to stifle his laughed and Charlie, Fidelio, and Lysander chuckled lowly.

"I'll just be going now." Mrs. Silk said, noticing the embarassment she had caused her son and Evangeline.

"Goodbye Mom." Gabriel said, his jaw locked.

- -

"How deep is this pond?" Olivia asked, up to her knees in the murky pond water.

"I don't know. Maybe ten feet in the middle." Gabriel guessed.

They were now in his back yard, sitting and splashing in the water.

"So, why are you sitting here all alone?" Tancred asked, sitting down beside Sapphire in the grass a few feet from the edge of the pond.

"Don't really like the water." Sapphire said, looking at him and smiling.

"Why?" he asked.

"I have my reasons." she said, looking back at her sister who was splashing Gabriel flirtaciously.

"Well, that settles it." Tancred sighed, standing up.

"What?" she asked looking up at him.

He reached down and picked her up.

"Tancred, no!" Sapphire screamed.

"If you don't like the water, I'll make you like it." he said over her screams. He was now into the water halfway up his thigh.

"Tancred, please!" she screamed but it was too late. He tossed her out toward the middle of the pond. Even he was surprised how far he threw her into the water.

"Sapphire!" Evangeline shouted and jumped into the water after her sister. Sapphire was in hysterics. Evangeline managed to drag her sister to the edge of the water but then it was too much for her.

As she tried to carry her sister to the house, Lysander interveined and took Sapphire from her.

Sapphire seemed to be on the verge of passing out. She was breathing heavily and shaking. Evangeline watched as Lysander managed to carry her sister into the house. She looked over at Tancred who was watching in horror.

"Hey, Tancred?" she said, tapping on Tancred's shoulder lightly.

"Yeah?" he asked turning around. His face was met with Evangeline's fist.

"Ouch!" she said, shaking her hand in the air. "Your head's even thicker and harder than I would have thought." she spat at him and raced off to check on her sister.

"Where's Sapphire?" Evangeline asked out of breath.

"Oh dear, here. You'll catch your death if you keep dripping like this!" Mrs. Silk said wrapping a towel around Evangeline's shoulders.

"Where's my sister?" she asked again.

"Bathroom, up the stairs, to the left." Mrs. Silk said.

"Sapphire, are you okay?!" Evangeline asked when she ran into the bathroom where her sister was sitting on the edge of the bathtub shivering.

"I'm fine. Just a little freaked." Sapphire said, her teeth chattering. "Where's Tancred?"

"Not sure. I punched him for you." Evangeline said.

"No!" Sapphire moaned. "Why'd you do that?!"

"Why wouldn't I?" Evangeline asked, rather taken aback.

"He didn't know."

"I'll go talk to him." Evangeline said and left the bathroom.

She walked down stairs to see Tancred standing on the porch wrapped in a towel. When she had punched him, she had cut him with the ring she wore on her middle finger.

"Sorry about that." she said, running her finger along her own cheek where she had given him the cut.

"No problem." he said quietly.

"Okay, let me explain." At that moment, Charlie, Gabriel and the rest of the group came up onto the porch. "Did you ever notice that we never mention our mother?"

"Not until now." Tancred said. "I just thought that she and you're dad weren't together anymore and you never saw her anymore."

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong." Evangeline started. "It was quite a while ago, I had just turned nine, Liam was thirteen, Sapphire was seven. It was during the summer, and we were staying at this lake in a cabin. The lake was deep, really deep. We were out on the boat and Sapphire couldn't swim and she saw this really pretty shell, or whatever it was, so she asked our mother to get it for her. The boat was moving so the shell was several yards away by the time Mom got into the water. Sapphire got bored of waiting so she left the area. She ran into Dad who asked where Mom was. Sapphire just told him that she was swimming. Turns out, Mom got her leg caught on something." Evangeline paused. "She drowned. Ever since then, Sapphire has refused to go swimming. She thinks it's all her fault. It just freaks her out, as you could see." she whipped away a tear. "Good god, I can't believe I'm crying." she laughed.

She stood up and Emma and Olivia, who were also crying, wrapped their arms around her.

Tancred felt so stupid. He stood up abruptly and went into the house.

"Charlie, Fidelio, Lysander, Emma, and Olivia, all of your rides are here." Mrs. Silk said, stepping out onto the porch briefly.

"Thanks, Mrs. Silk." they all murmered, still shaken by the story.

"Hi." Tancred said, walking into the hall bathroom where Sapphire still sat. She nodded, still shaking. "I'm really, _really_ sorry."

"No need. You didn't know." she said, sounding rather drained and forced a smile.

"No." Tancred said, a breeze shifted through the small bathroom. "You said you didn't like water, that should have been enough for me."

"No. It's not your fault." she said standing up. "I better get ready. Liam or my dad'll be here soon."

"Yeah." he muttered as she brushed past him and out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked, sitting down in the chair beside Evangeline where Olivia had been sitting.

"Yeah." she laughed, still wiping her tears. "I'm fine."

"Are you still mad at Tancred?"

"No. It wasn't his fault, he didn't know."

"Evangeline, your brother's here." Mrs. Silk said.

"Okay, thanks." she turned to Gabriel, "See you tomorrow, bright and early.

"What the bloody hell happened to you two?" Liam asked as Evangeline slid into the front seat of the car.

"Well, Tancred threw me into the water and Evie dove in after me." Sapphire said from the back seat.

"Oh, of course. What else could have happened." Liam muttered.

- -

"That was all rather interesting today." Mrs. Silk said, sitting down on the edge of her son's bed that night.

"Yeah." Gabriel smirked.

"Sorry I embarrassed you and Evangeline."

"No problem, Mom." Gabriel said, blushing at the new memory.

"But you were right. She's very pretty."

"Mom!" Gabriel groaned.

"Sorry." she muttered. "Goodnight, dear." she said, ruffling his hair.

"Night, Mom."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Have you guys ... heard?" Olivia panted, running up to the group at Break on Thursday.

"Heard what?" Charlie asked.

"In the hall, right outside the section doors. There are signs." Olivia paused.

"What do they say?" Emma asked, rather excited by the situation.

"On October 12th. In the Ball Room. There's a formal occasion." Olivia said.

"Which means?" Charlie asked.

"A dance?" Sapphire suggested.

"Yeah!" Olivia said.

"So, if this Saturday's the 21st, then it's only three weeks away!" Sapphire wailed, "It's too soon!"

"Calm. I had an idea." Olivia said, "This weekend, Sapphire, Evangeline, and Emma, you should stay at my house and we need to go dress shopping!"

"A girl's favorite activity. Besides shoe shopping." Sapphire said, rubbing her hands together.

"I hate dances!" All the boys said.

"Why? Is it the dates you're worried about?" Olivia asked and the boys shrugged. "Well, we are four beautiful," Tancred snorted and Olivia shot him a look, "single girls who need dates!"

Evangeline froze. She wasn't good on dates. Tancred seemed to have gotten over her, so there was little chance that he'd asked her. Maybe Gabriel would ask her. Or Fidelio, who, according to Sapphire, still liked Evangeline.

"I'm going now." Evangeline said quietly and walked into the hall.

- -

By the time that she got to the King's Room that night, she had gotten asked to the dance by three different boys. She politly declined all of their invitations.

"So, how many guys have asked you?" She asked Sapphire, sitting down between her and Gabriel.

"Six." Sapphire said.

"And how many have you accepted?" Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow.

"None."

"Surprising." Gabriel said under his breath.

"How many girls have you asked then?" Evangeline asked Gabriel.

"None," he shrugged, "until now. Evie, will you go with me?"

Evangeline, who was shocked, opened her mouth to respond as Manfred stormed in.

"Sit down and get to work." Manfred said, sitting down at his spot.

When Evangeline was about to answer, Gabriel looked away, looking embarrased. _Great_, Evangeline thought, _he thinks I'm going to say no!_.

She nudged him and slipped a piece of paper into his view. _Yes_, was written on the paper in her scrawly handwriting. He smiled to himself and got back to work.

- -

"Yes or no?" Olivia asked, coming out of the dressing room wearing a rather short bright orange dress.

"No." Evangeline, Emma, and Sapphire all said, shaking their heads.

"I think you ought to go with strapless, Liv." Emma said, examening herself in the mirror the mirror her friends said looked the best on her. The silky blue of the skirt came just above her knee and the cut of the neck and waist looked perfect on her small frame.

"Oh my god." Sapphire said.

"What?" Evangeline asked, rather surprised.

"That dress looks amazing on you." Olivia said, answering her question.

"Really?" Evangeline asked shifting her shoulders. The white dress fit to her like a glove. A band of black that went under her bust started the flow of the skirt that went just to her knee, which had a rim of black around the bottom. "It doesn't make me look pregnant, does it?"

"Of course not." Sapphire assured her. "When did you get so hot?"

"No clue. But I'm getting this dress."

"Good choice. Black and white is definetly in this year." Olivia said. Her friends starred at her, "What, I read _Vogue_." she shrugged.

"I don't know what to get!" Sapphire wailed.

"Go with the sapphire blue one. The color is your name, its made for you." Evangeline laughed.

"Plus, you're a knock-out in it." Olivia pointed out.

"You're right. It fit and looked a lot better than the black one."

"I'm the only one left." Olivia said. "Now, I like this." she said coming out of the dressing room in a deep purple, strapless dress.

"Same here, go with that one." Emma said, coming out in her normal clothes.

"Good, now we can get out of here." Sapphire sighed. They had been sitting in the dress shop for well over two hours by now.

- -

"Has anybody asked you yet, Olivia?" Sapphire asked Saturday night up in Olivia's room.

"No." Olivia sighed. "Craig Pentworthy asked Emma and she said yeah. But no one for Olivia. What about you two?"

"I said yes to Gabriel." Evangeline said quietly and blushed.

"You two are a cute couple." Sapphire said.

"Shut it!" Evangeline growled.

"Come on, Evie, she's just stating the obvious." Olivia giggled. "What about you, Sapphire?"

"Six invitations. One from the guy I want." Sapphire shrugged.

"Tancred asked you, and you didn't say yes?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah." Sapphire said.

"Why?!" Olivia gasped.

"He used a very dumb pick-up line." Sapphire explained.

"Okay, let's name some of the worst pick-up lines you've ever heard?" Olivia giggled.

"Uh, okay, I know. Some guy, he was like, 'Is your dad a terrorist? 'Cause you the bomb'!" Evangeline said. Olivia burst into a fit of giggles.

"'Have I seen you before? Oh, yeah, that's right. You're my next girlfriend.'" Olivia quoted.

"'Screw me if I'm wrong, but don't I know you?'" Evangeline giggled. "What about you, Sapphire?"

"Uh, oh yeah, 'If you were a car door and I'd slam you all night'." Sapphire said.

Evangeline and Olivia stared at her.

"Who said that?" Olivia asked.

Sapphire burst out laughing and said "Tancred."

Olivia and Evangeline started to laugh along with Sapphire.

"God, that's vulgar!" Evangeline said, wiping her eyes.

"Well, it's Tancred. Last year, he said to this one girl, 'You be the ice burg, I'll be the Titanic, and I'll go down on you.' She slapped him _so_ hard!"

"I'd bet." Evangeline laughed.

"You ought to agree to go with him." Olivia said.

"Well, I don't know. I'll think about it."

* * *

okay, for a future ... reference, what songs can you not in a million years imagine the Charlie Bone Boys signing and or listening to? Oh, BTW, no Fergie please, already got it (G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S) and thanks for all of the great reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Evangeline was resting her forehead on the cool glass window on the blue bus Monday morning when she felt someone sit down beside.

"Hi Gabriel." she said without looking at him.

"Good morning." he said, rather cheerfully. She groaned her responce. "What, don't like Mondays?"

"Not at all. It doesn't help that that storm kept me up all night." she said, taking her forehead of the window. "The stylings of Tancred Torsson, I'm guessing."

"Well, you don't know that. It might not have been him. But there did seem to be more lightning at the Thunder House than usual though."

"Whatever." Evangeline groaned.

"So how was Olivia's?" Gabriel asked.

"Exciting, we all got dresses and we discussed bad pick-up lines." she said, "I didn't know Tancred could be so vulgar. Are all guys like that?"

"You'd be surprised." Gabriel said.

"So, what's a vulgar pick-up line that you've used?" she asked Gabriel.

He smirked. "Nice legs, what time do they open?" Evangeline's jaw dropped.

"Gabriel Silk!" she said, astonished.

"Hey!" he said as she slapped him on the arm, though not hard.

"I can't believe you." she laughed. He shrugged.

"If you hadn't guessed it by now, I learned that from Tancred." he said.

"I should have known." she said as the bus stopped at the school.

- -

When Sapphire got onto the bus on Monday morning, Tancred was already on the bus as she plonked down beside him.

"Was that you last night?" she asked.

"What, the storm? No, that wasn't the Torssons for once." he smirked.

"So, how hard did that girl slap you last year?" she asked.

"Okay, lots of girls slapped me, you gotta be more specific." Tancred told her.

"The one that you said, oh, what was it. Oh, the 'you be the ice burg, I'll be the Titanic and I'll go down on you.' Yeah, that's the one."

"Oh, her." Tancred laughed. "Extremely hard. Left a red mark for hours."

"Idiot." she muttered.

"So, have you given it any thought?" he asked, obviously refering to the dance.

"Yes, I have."

"And?" he begged her to continue.

"I've decided that you're a perverted, low-life jerk! That's what!" she shouted.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked, still not knowing the answer.

"Of course it's a yes." she said sweetly. He blinked a few times as though to try and register that she had said yes.

"Did you girls get dresses?"

"Yes."

"What am I going to get to see?" he asked.

"Not telling. All I'll say, is that Olivia called me a knock-out." Tancred smiled.

"Nice to know that I'm going with the hottest girl in school." he said proudly.

"Up until two weeks ago, you thought my sister was the hottest girl in school." she scoffed.

"I _thought_ she was the hottest girl in school. You _are_ the hottest girl in school."

"You're just getting around, aren't you." she said shaking her head.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Note: The song featured in this chapter, 'What Hurts The Most', does not belong to me. It belongs to the members of Rascal Flatts.

Sapphire pulled out her jewelry box from under her bed. She grabbed it and looked at the top. Beautifully stained glass that was covered in dust. She gathered her breath and blew the dust from the top.

She opened it caustiously. She didn't even remember much of what was in it. It'd been that long. She pulled out the necklace and stared at it. It still took her breath away.

The silver chain was still sparkling, like a thousand shiny stars, and the opal pendant hung from it gracefully. Her father had given it to her shortly after her mother's death. It had been her mother's, her husband had given it to her for their fifth anniversary.

Their father had given each Sapphire and Evangeline a necklace. Evangeline had also recieved her mother's engagment ring, which, coincidently, her mother had taken off to go swimming and Sapphire had gotten a pair of diamond earings, that she was also wearing.

She fastened the necklace around her neck and stood back to admire herself. She smoothed out her brilliantly blue dress and stepped into her silver ballet flats. She took a last look in the mirror and made sure that none of the pins had come loose.

- -

Evangeline clasped the necklace and touched the stone. It felt cool against her warm hand. This necklace had been a gift from her father to her mother on their first anniversary. Her mother's engagment ring, which Evangeline always wore, was still on her middle finger. She put in some silver earings and checked her hair again. It had taken her near an hour to get all of her hair up into the bun. Finally, she stepped into her shiny black ballet flats and opened her bedroom door.

Sapphire was already downstairs, waiting by the door for her sister. Liam was sitting at the table, looking extremly bored. Their dad was sitting on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

"I don't know who looks more beautiful." he sighed when Evangeline came down the stairs.

"Har, har Dad." Liam said, standing up.

"Can we go now?" Sapphire asked, tapping her nails on the door impaticently.

"Yes, Sapphire, we can go. Now, if those boys try _anything_, you call me right away and I will grill their asses." Liam said as he released Evangeline from a hug and grabbed his car keys.

"Bye." The girls said to their father as they walked out the door.

- -

Sapphire was looking around the hall for Tancred where they agreed to meet, when an arm came out from the shadows and grabbed her around the waist.

"When you said knock-out, it was an understatment." Tancred said. She rolled her eyes and hugged him. "You really do look great."

"Look, I even thought about you." she said, looking down at her shoes, "I didn't wear heels. That's a good thing for you. You wouldn't like me if I was mad _and_ wearing heels."

"Well, thank you." he said, offering his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall." she beamed and took him arm and they walked into the ball room.

- -

"Have you seen Gabriel?" Evangeline asked Olivia who was standing by the punch bowl.

"No. He hasn't shown up?" Olivia asked, taking a drink of punch.

"No. That or he's avoiding me. I hope it's not the second one." Evangeline said nervously.

"I'm sure he's not. He'll probably be here soon." Olivia reassured her. Evangeline sighed nervously and a chill ran down her spine.

"Hi!" Sapphire said energeticly as she and Tancred walked up to her and Olivia. She frowned. "Where's Gabriel?" Evangeline shrugged and slumped into a chair.

"I'm sure he'll show up, Evie. He never shirks on somethings once he said he'll do it." Tancred told her. Evangeline sighed again and looked even more depressed.

"If he's not here in an hour and a half, I'm calling Liam to come get me." Evangeline said.

"Aw, Evie, don't leave early just because Gabriel's not here. Fido's here. He was going to ask you, but Gabriel got to you first." Olivia said, trying to cheer her friend up.

"No, I'm fine here. Go have fun." she said, forcing a smile.

"Oh, my god! I love this song!" Sapphire said and dragged Tancred out onto the dance floor.

- -

Evangeline sat in the same chair for the next two hours. Fidelio and various other boys asked her to dance, but she politely turned them all down. Fidelio, in fact had asked her multiple times.

"Go ask her to dance." Sapphire pleaded during one of the slow songs.

"What, no. She'd just turn me down. She's refused to dance with anyone but Gabriel." Tancred said.

"Okay, everybody, this'll be the last song. I've gotten several requests for this, so here it is!" The DJ said and the song played. There was a sigh of gratitude from the girls and they started to dance. 

Evangeline looked longingly at all of the couples. Everyone was dancing and she was the only person still in a seat. Even Manfred was dancing with a random senior. Now, she just felt pathetic. Fidelio was dancing with Olivia, Emma was dancing with Craig, Lysander was dancing with a girl Evangeline knew was in drama, and Charlie was dancing with another girl their age that was also in music. It really tore her apart to see Tancred and her sister dancing so close. A chill of deep despare ran down her spine.

_He's not coming,_ she told herself, trying desperatly not to cry. _I've been stood up._

_"I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house_

_That don't bother me_

_I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out_

_I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while_

_Even though going on with you gone still upsets me_

_There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay_

_But that's not what gets me."_

A single tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away hastily, for she heard someone come up behind her. She assumed it was Fidelio because she couldn't see him on the dance floor.

"Now you tell me, " a voice said behind her, "how does a girl this gorgeous, not have a date?"

She whipped around to see him. His hair was messed up and he looked extremely tired, but it was still him.

"Gabriel!" She cried and leapt up from her chair and into his arms. "I thought you stood me up!"

"No. Our car broke down, our only car." he explained.

"So how'd you get here?" she asked. "You didn't-"

"Walk? Yes. It took quiet awhile, but I'm here."

"You didn't have to walk!" she said.

"Then, you would have spent the entire dance, sitting right here in this chair."

"I practically did!" she laughed, wiping away her tears of joy.

"Gabriel!" Tancred said after the song ended, "Thought you were'nt going to make it."

"I pretty much didn't." Gabriel laughed.

"Evie, we better go. Liam's picking us up, and he said that if we weren't out by ten-o-five, he was calling the police. And it's already ten-o-two. Gabriel, Tancred, you're coming over for tea." Sapphire warned.

"You know, I hate Liam." she said, hugging Gabriel tightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here earlier." he whispered in her ear.

"It's okay." she reassured him.

"If it helps at all, you look really gorgeous." he told her with a smile.

"Oh, you'll need a ride. Come with us, Liam won't mind." Evangeline said.

"Ten-oh-four!" Sapphire warned as she looked at the clock on her cell-phone quickly.

"Liam, Tancred and Gabriel are coming over for cocoa." Sapphire said as Tanced, Sapphire, Evangeline, and Gabriel all piled into the back seat in that order.

"Fine." Liam sighed. "More people in that house the better."

"Why, what's wrong?" Sapphire asked.

"Mortola's over." Gabriel and Tancred both felt Evangeline and Sapphire shudder beside beside them.

"Why?" Sapphire groaned.

"No clue. I drove into the driveway after dropping you girls off, saw her car in the driveway, and came right back to the school to wait for you." Liam said from the front seat.

"I just want to know why she's there this time." Sapphire groaned.

"Oh my god, she's still here!" Liam cried when they pulled into the driveway and saw a pitch black car with tinted windows sitting there.

Mortola was their mother, Adara's, mother. She was cold and heartless. Though everyone called her Mortola behind her back, she always made Evangeline, Sapphire, and Liam call her Grandma Mortola. Today, she was wearing her usual attire of a shape-less, pitch black dress that reached to her ankles and a dark gray cardigan.

"What are they doing here?" she snapped when Gabriel and Tancred walked through the door after her grandchildren.

"They came home with us for cocoa, Grandma." Sapphire said sweetly and gave her grandmother a peck on her thin, dry cheek.

"Hello, pet." Mortola said, patting the top of Sapphire's head. "And you! Cover yourself up, show some pride. You haven't changed much, have you? Still a little whore!" she snapped at Evangeline who was trying to slip up the stairs without being noticied.

"Not by much." Evangeline said coldly.

"And you! Stand up tall! At least act proud to be who you are!" She shouted at Liam.

"Yes ma'am." he muttered. Tancred and Gabriel looked at each other and surpressed a laugh.

"Liam, get my coat." she snapped without taking her eyes off of Tancred and Gabriel.

When she left the house, the entire room let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll go make some cocoa." Liam said going into the kitchen.

"Make yourselves comfortable boys, we'll be right back." Sapphire said as she and Evangeline went upstairs to change.

Five minutes later, they came back down, hair in ponytails, in jeans and a t-shirt and the boys were already sitting at the table drinking their cocoa.

"So, does she usually call you a whore during her visits?" Gabriel asked at the table.

"Oh, no. She usually sticks to slut, or hussy, or old fashion words of the same sort." Evangeline laughed. "She hates me. She thinks that I'm a little whore, just like my mother and I'm going to end up pregnant by the time I'm eighteen." she sighed, sitting down beside Gabriel.

"But you're not going to. Are you?" Liam said, eyeing Gabriel.

"No." Evangeline reassured him.

"Well, I'm heading to bed. Evie, will you drive them home?" Liam asked, swallowing the rest of his cocoa.

"Yeah, no problem." Evie said, taking a drink.

"They're out of here in fifteen minutes." Liam said he went up the stairs.

"Yeah." Sapphire muttered.

- -

"Gabriel Chutni Silk!" Mrs. Silk cried, standing up from her chair where she'd been sitting, when Gabriel walked in with Evangeline. Evangeline snorted at the mention of his middle name. "Where have you been?! You're father and I have been trying to locate you we've called Charlie's, we've called Fidelio's, we've called Lysander's, we even called Emma's aunt's to see if you were there!"

"Sorry, Mom. I went to Evie's after the dance. I'm sorry, I should have called." Gabriel said apologeticly.

Mrs. Silk heaved a great sigh and said, "It's fine. It's just, we were worried. Now, I'm going up to bed." she said excusing herself and walking up the stairs.

"I better get going." Evangeline sighed and hugged Gabriel.

"I'll see you on Monday." he said, releasing her after a long moment.

"Bye!" she said, giving him a peck on the cheek and was out the door.

- -

"This is probably all the father should go." Tancred said, taking arm off of Sapphire's shoulders.

"Yeah." she sighed.

"You have no idea how much fun I had with you tonight." he laughed.

"Yeah, well, I had a lot of fun, too." she laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. He sighed. "What?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing." he said, sounding content and a cool breeze swept around their ankles. He smirked. "Sorry."

"It's okay." she said smiling.

"I can't wait for the next dance." he said dreamily.

"Why?" she asked. "Can't wait to see me all dressed up again?"

"Nope." he said. "You better get back. Evie's probably about to drive off without you." he scoffed.

As he leaned down to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head so he kissed her straight on the lips. She could tell he was taken aback so she took it slow. She pulled away and bit her lip nervously and gave him a small smile.

"I'll see you on Monday." she whispered and left.


	9. Chapter 9

NOTE -- MAJOR BOMBSHELL BEING DROPPED AS WILL BE YOUR JAWS!!!!! Me and my co-writer were trying to think of a good plot change and this is something NO ONE would have expected ... but here it is!!!**

* * *

**

**Chapter Nine**

Note: This chapter takes place a week after the dance.

"Hello, I've come to collect Charlie and Emma." the man in the dark coat said as he stood on their door step.

He looked familiar, but Evangeline couldn't place it. He must of felt the same, because a flicker of recognition showed in his eyes when she smiled and said, "Come on in." and turned off the lights. Charlie and Emma had told her that a power-booster would be coming to get them after the dinner.

Darius had the idea to throw a dinner so he could get to meet all of Sapphire and Evangeline's friends from school.

"Dad, lights." she hissed as she came into the dining room and left Paton in the hall until the lights were off.

"Ah, hello." Darius stood and went over to shake Paton's hand. "Darius Nimbus."

"Paton Yewbeam." he said, shaking Darius' hand. "Emma, Charlie, are you two ready yet?"

"Not nearly!" Emma said, "We've only just started having dessert."

"Mr. Yewbeam, there's more cake, if you'd like some." Sapphire offered.

"That, would be nice." Paton said, slinking down into the empty seat between Lysander and Charlie.

"Extremely good, Mr. Nimbus!" Gabriel commented as he took a bite of the moist looking chocolate cake.

"Actually, tell that to Evangeline. She made most of this, seeing as how Sapphire had detention." Darius said and Evangeline blushed.

"What about me?" Sapphire asked as she came back into the dining room with a large piece of cake for Paton.

"Uncle Paton, what is it?" Charlie asked. Everybody looked at Paton who was staring at their family picture that had been taken only two months before their mother died, when Sapphire was six and Evangeline was almost eight.

"That woman, the red head, who is she?" Paton asked quietly.

"My wife. She died several years. Why?" Darius asked.

"I think I know her. Well, knew. What was her name?" Paton asked.

"Adara Nimbus. Darsen was her maiden name." Darius said nervously, like he knew something that nobody else did.

"Ah, that's right. I went to Bloor's with her!" Paton said, as if finally catching on to something secret. "Very gifted flute player. Emma, Charlie, are you ready?"

"Yes, Uncle Paton." They said. They must have felt it too, the strange sensation, the tension between Darius and Paton.

- -

_It was rather dark in the room. She was sitting on the floor and a boy who she recognized Liam was flipping through a picture book, mouthing the words. He seemed to be stumbling over them. He looked about seven._

_Across the room, a woman with dark red hair and a glowing skin tone was smiling as a small toddler, dressed in capris and a bright pink top, who seemed to be about one tottered away from her toward a man dressed in jeans and a dark button down. She recognized the woman easily as her mother and the toddler, well, it was obvious that she was Sapphire. _

_The man, she didn't know who it was. She knew it wasn't Darius. She couldn't see his face._

_"You're almost there, Faith, come on. Come to Daddy!" the man said. Definetly not Darius. As the toddler got to him, he scooped her up into his arms and tickled her chubby belly and the baby's giggle echoed through the room._

_At that, she, herself, stood up and walked easily over to the man whose face she couldn't see. If Sapphire was one, and Liam was about seven, she must be a little over two._

_As she walked over to the man to get a better look, she tripped and fell. It must have hurt, because her toddler instincts kicked in, she started to cry._

_"Gracie!" her mother said, coming over to get her. As her mother held her, she shook her head and in a alarmingly familiar voice said, "Daddy!" She recognized the voice. It was very familiar, it was the voice she begged in._

_"Sweetie, she wants you. As usual." her mother said and the man chuckled but stood up and placed "Faith" on the floor._

_"Gracie, Gracie, Gracie." he repeated as her mother handed her to him. The closer view didn't help a bit. He kept repeating the name as he stroked her hair. Her sobbing ceased and she sniffled. _

_"I okay now, Daddy." she said bravely._

_"Right." he said setting her back down beside Liam, "Liam, keep an eye on your sister!"_

_"I was!" he said defensivly._

_"Well, keep a _better_ eye on her." the man said and sent the toddler back to her mother._

_She looked around. The house, the room, the furniture, all seemed familiar, but she just couldn't place it._

_The man laughed as Sapphire/Faith reached their mother. Sapphire sat down in their mother's lap and yawned loudly. Then the child curled up in her mother's arms and quickly fell asleep. "I guess it's nap time." he said. "You too, Grace. Time for a nap." he came to pick her up. She stuggled against him and soon went lax against him and nuzzled into his chest._

_"Night, Grace." the man whispered softly and laid Grace down in her bed on top of the flowery comforter. As he kissed her on the cheek, she struggled to stay awake. Soon she was asleep._

- -

She opened her eyes groggily. The clock said six o' clock. Her alarm was going off. It was only Sunday. She must have accidently hit the button.

She sat up in bed, reflecting on the dream. _Dream_, she thought, _it was only a dream_.

At least she only thought it was. Until Fall Out Boys' _Thnks fr th Mmrs_, started to play on the radio.

She knew it was too real to be a dream. But who's voice was it? It was so familair, she just couldn't seemed to put it into place. She sighed and layed back down into the big pillows. Soon she was asleep again.

- -

"Hello?" he answered the phone.

"Is Emma avaliable?" Evangeline asked politely.

"Yes, let m-" she didn't hear the rest, she nearly dropped the phone. It was him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Yewbeam, but how exactly did you know my mother?" she asked defiantly. She heard him take a deep breath.

"We should meet." he said, "Don't tell you father or your brother. Just bring you and your sister." he instructed.

"Alright. We'll be there in ten minutes." Evangeline said and hung up the phone.

"Hey, what's your problem?!" Sapphire yelled as Evangeline turned of her Ipod speaker.

"Get your coat. We're going somewhere." Evangeline said to her sister.

"What, where?" Sapphire asked as she went down the stairs.

"I'll tell you in the car." Evangeline hissed.

"So, you have this crack pot dream about us when we were babies? And in the dream, they called us by our middle names and had a different father? But you couldn't see his face?" Sapphire asked, extremely confussed during the ride across town.

"Yeah." Evangeline said, not taking her eyes off the road.

"And know you think it's Emma and Charlie's uncle. The one that was over last night, the one who knew Mom?"

"Yeah. We're here." Evangeline said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Paton, dear, they're here." a woman said as she opened the door for them. She was extremely thin and pretty. Paton came to the door, wearing a smile.

"Come in." he said, opening the door for them.

The house was dark and smelled of cinammon. There were several pictures all throughout the living room. More than half were of Emma and a small boy with jet black hair and pale grey eyes.

"Sit down, dear girls." Paton urged them and they sat down uncomfortably on the cofa.

"Girls, would you like some lemonade or some tea?" Miss Ingledew (now Mrs. Yewbeam) asked the girls.

"No, thank you." they replied politely.

"So, how did you girls figure it out?" Paton finally asked after an akward, uncomfortable silence.

"Figure what out exactly, Mr. Yembeam?" Evangeline asked.

"That I'm your father." (AHHHHH! PATON'S SECRET LOVE CHILD!!!! OR CHILDREN!!!!)

"I had a dream, well, memory, last night. Someone, I guess it was you, were there, and I couldn't see your face. Sapphire was learning to walk, and I fell. You called her Faith and me Grace." Evangeline explained slowly.

"As soon as I put you down for a nap, Lyell called. Said that something was going to happen, that I needed to get you two, Liam, and your mother out of the house. That's the day I last saw you." Paton took a deep breath. "I should probably start from the beginning, shouldn't I? You mother and I, we did go to school together. Naomi and I were close."

"Naomi?" Sapphire interupted.

"Your mother." Paton told her.

"We always knew her as Adara." Sapphire said quietly.

"That's what she changed her name to. Well, Naomi or Adara, either, we were very close. We sat together every night in the King's Room-"

"Our mother was endowed?" Sapphire asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes. She could impersonate anyone, as long as she heard their voice. Extremely coveted endowment." Paton said and continued his tale. "When we gradutated, I had every intention of marrying her, but she turned me down. She had been cheating on me with Darius. I didn't blame her. She could have a normal life with him, but not with a power-booster. I didn't hear from her for several years. When Liam was about four is when she called me. She wanted to talk. She told me that her and Darius were seperating, that they weren't together anymore. I looked over the her cheating on me thing and fell for her again. All was good. We had Grace Solange, Solange after my mother, then a year and a half later, Faith Daphne, Daphne after my aunt who died as a child.

"We were very happy. We had a nice house. It was small, but we seemed to fit into it perfectly. Then Lyell called. That's when you all left. Naomi told me that you would be save at Darius'. We never actually married, I knew it'd be easier in case something ever happened and she was put into danger because of my family and she could just leave. And that's what she did."

"Why didn't you try and see us?" Sapphire asked, nearly inaudible.

"I did. Once, around Christmas, Evie, you were seven, Sapphire, you had just turned six. Darius answered the door and said that I wasn't ever to bother 'his family' again. I highly doubt that he ever even told your mother." Paton sighed.

"So, we're ... Yewbeams?" Evangeline asked, rather motified.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Paton chuckled.

Everyone jumped as Evangeline's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she gasped. "We're over at Emma's ... yeah, we'll be home in a little bit. Bye, Dad." she shut the phone. "Sapph, we need to go." Sapphire nodded. She'd been suprisingly quiet.

"I'd like to see you again." Paton said, standing up from his chair.

"Most definetly." Evangeline said, rather surprised when he hugged her and Sapphire.

- -

"Evie, Emma's on the phone!" Liam called from downstairs.

"Got it!" Evangeline called and picked up the phone on her bed side table. "Hi Emma!"

"Hi Evie, my uncle wanted to talk to you and he didn't know who'd answer the phone." Emma explained.

"Okay, put him on." Evangeline said.

"Hello Evangeline. There's something I can't believe I forgot to tell you earlier. Your mother's alive." Evangeline gasped in disbelief. "I'm serious. She's been living in America for the past seven years. And, I've arranged for you, your sister, your brother, and five friends to spend the summer in America. Think of it as thirteen years of Christmas and birthday presents to you, your sister, and your brother." Paton said.

"Paton, you can't, we can't!" Evangeline protested but Paton wouldn't hear it.

"Evangeline, I've already paid for eight plane tickets, made hotel reservations. Don't worry about it! Now, tell me the five friends you'd like to take that I can contact their parents."

"Olivia Vertigo, Emma, Gabriel Silk, Tancred Torsson, and Lysander Sage. Sapphire would agree and probably say them in that exact order." Evangeline assured him.

"Okay. I'll keep in touch." Paton said.

"G'bye." she said and ran off to tell her sister and her brother the plan.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Although it was nine months away, Liam, Evangeline, and Sapphire all counted down the days until they would go to America on June 12th. Their father didn't even know what all was going on. Sapphire came up with that they had won a summer trip to New York through the school that came with eight tickets. They then explained that they were only taking Liam for supervision so Darius wouldn't have to miss work.

Over those nine months, Gabriel and Evangeline started dating. Though they hadn't actually kissed, they were nearly inseperable. When they first started dating, they were the same height. Then, Gabriel hit a growth spirt and now towered over her by a good four inches. As for Tancred and Sapphire, nothing happened. They had gone to a movie several times but nothing over that.

- -

"Sapphire, release your grip on my arm, please. It's starting to go numb!" Tancred complained.

"Sorry!" she said, unbedding her nails from his arm as the plane steadied in the air.

"I think that'll actually leave a scar!" Tancred murmered, looking at his injured arm where there were four, extremely deep, moon-shaped indents.

With Evangeline and Gabriel, it was Gabriel who was freaking out. He was sitting bolt up right in his seat, his eyes were closed, and was breathing deeply. Evangeline could tell that all of the muscles in his body were tense by the way the muscle in his forearm was sticking out.

"Gabriel?" she said.

"Yeah?" Gabriel said quietly through clenched teeth.

"Relax, okay! It's fine, we're horizontal again." she told him, resting her hand on her forearm in hopes that he'd relaxed. He didn't.

"I know. It's just, I don't like planes." he said.

"Hang on, let me try something." she said, repositioning herself in the rather comfortable seat so her body was facing him. "Gabriel, turn toward me." he obeyed. "Now open you eyes, and take my hands, both of them, and just look into my eyes." he did so and after a long moment of this, he sighed. "Better?"

"A lot." he sighed again.

"Gabriel, I think your bag is ... squeeking." Evangeline told him.

"Oh, Rita, I forgot!" he exclaimed and grabbed the bag.

"You brought your GERBIL!" Evangeline said in disbelief.

"Uh-huh!" Gabriel nodded and the tiny gerbil poked its head out of the bag. "Rita, get in!" he said, zipping the bag back up.

"I can't belief you brought your gerbil!"

"Gerbils. I brought five."

"Five! And where are they supposed to stay for three months? In your bag?"

"Nope, I brought a cage!" Gabriel said. "Hang on, where's Tiny?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"RAT!!!!!!!" Liam screamed. Him and Olivia were sitting in the seats across the isle from Evangeline and Gabriel.

"Found him." Evangeline said and resituated herself into her seat with her blanket. "I'm taking a nap."

"Okay." Gabriel said, slipping the escaped gerbil into his bag.

"If you start to freak out again, you wake me up." she said. Paton had been smart and booked them night flight.

Lysander, who was sitting beside Emma in the row across from Tancred and Sapphire, was so enchanted with his book that he failed to notice that Emma as she slept, was resting her head on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes as he glanced up and Tancred gave him a thumbs up.

- -

He stepped into the bathroom without knocking, which he should have done.

"Sapphire?" he asked, his voice cracking from the extreme humidity of the bathroom. She screamed slightly.

"Tancred!" she said, poking her head out from behind the shower curtain.

"Oh, sorry, I'll just ... yeah." he murmered and reached for the door knob.

"No, no, stay. I needed someone to talk to." she said and he akwardly sat down on the bench in the luxurious bathroom.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked loudly over the noise of the shower.

"Oh, nothing. Just when I woke up, you were gone." Tancred said.

"Yeah, great job keeping an eye on me." she snorted. "When did they say they'd be back?"

Gabriel, Evangeline, Lysander, Emma, and Olivia had gone out to walk around town for the night. Sapphire had been extremely tired and had been asleep when they even talked about going out. Tancred had volinteered to stay and keep an eye on her, but, he too had fallen asleep.

"They didn't say." he yawned.

"Okay." Sapphire said. "Tancred, could you hand me my towel and my green shirt?"

He hadn't even noticed that the shower had stopped but he picked up the white fluffy towel and a green shirt and put it into her outstretched hand.

"So, are you feeling better now?" Tancred asked. "Evie said that you got sick when you got up to the room."

"Yeah, I'm fine now." she said, throwing back the shower curtain and straightening her long t-shirt that went to just above her knee and hung shapeless from her small frame.

"Flattering." he said, trying to sound cool. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a pile of her clothes.

"Hey Tancred?"

"Yeah?" he asked, trying to sound even cooler.

"You're kind of, standing on my bra." she said.

"Oh, right." he said, picking it up between two fingers and tossed it to her.

"Thanks, now get out." she said and Tancred blushed and slipped out of the bathroom.

Five minutes later, she came out, dressed in pajamas, towel drying her dark hair. She sat down cross-legged on her bed and smiled at Tancred. He noticed that her skin was still flaming red from the heat of the water.

"How hot was that water, anyway?" he asked, brushing his hand over her hot cheek as he sat down beside her on the huge bed..

"I'm fine, Tancred." she told him with a smile. "I just needed some hot water, to help me make sure this is all real."

"Make sure what's all real?" he asked, frowning.

"My mother's alive, I'm in America, I'm here with you." she said rather dreamily.

"What's so unreal about you being here with me?"

"Now that I'm actually here, absolutly nothing." she said, biting her bottom lip.

She didn't notice but through the course of this entire conversation, he had been inching closer and closer. Now, as they locked eyes, he moved just an inch closer and their lips met. Her lips felt incredibly hot on his and her still dripping hair fell over her shoulders and dripped on both of them. His hand, cupping her cheek, felt cool on her warm face. He was surprised when she broke it off, giggling.

"I'm sorry!" she said, giggling girlishly, rolling on her back onto the bed.

"What?" he asked, looking back at her as she still lay there giggling.

"Nothing, just still a little tired, I guess." she said, sitting up after her giggling fit. "I'm sorry." she told him again. By now her skin had turned back to its normal color.

"It's nothing." he muttered. She ressumed her spot beside him on the bed.

"Don't think I started laughing because I don't like you. Because I do like you. A lot actually. I started laughing because it just felt amazing to be here. I've never really had alone time with you outside of when we've gone to the movies, and half the time Gabriel and Evie are with us. I like it." she said and Tancred smirked.

"Well, I'm glad that you like it." he said, putting his hand under her chin and softly kissed her again. She smiled as he pulled away and said, "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Okay." she said, laying back on her bed.

- -

"Do you think it wise to leave Lysander with Olivia and Emma?" Evangeline asked shrugging off her jacket and tossing it onto a chair in the corner of the boys' suite.

"Most definetly." Gabriel said nodding with confidence and smirked as he fed the gerbils that were now in their cage, under the counter in the kitchentte area.

"What?" Evangeline asked him suspiciously.

"Nothing." Gabriel said, shaking his head.

"Fine then, don't tell me." Evangeline said, sitting down on one of the beds. Gabriel sat down beside her.

"I am so glad I decided to come." Gabriel sighed.

"Well, you know, you really didn't have a choice, either way, I was going to drag you onto that plane." she said.

"Oh, really?"

"Yep." she said. _It's time_ she thought to herself, _it's time to kiss him._ She didn't even know that he was thinking the same thing.

She bit her lip nervously. He smiled and brushed several of her curls out of her face and behind her ear. As he did so, he was inching closer and closer and they locked eyes. The left corner of his mouth turned up into a smile and he shrugged, then he captured her lips with his. She felt weightless as he stroked her hair lovingly. He felt a smile against his lips as he wound one of her spiral curls around his finger.

"Whoa." they heard and they broke apart instantly. Tancred was standing in the door way combinding the the girls' and the boys' suite. Evangeline instantly turnedd as red as her hair and Gabriel also blushed. "Well, well, well." Tancred drawled out. "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just going to get a shower. Carry on." Tancred said, waving a hand at them as he went into the bathroom.

Once he was gone, Gabriel smirked. "Now, where were we?"

"Just about here." she said with a smile and kissed him lightly. "I better go." she whispered in his ear.

When she was half way to the door, Gabriel grabbed her arm and whipped her around and kissed her ... again. She stood on her tip-toes and reached her arms around his neck. He had one hand resting gently on the back of her neck and the other was rested on her silky cheek.

"Seriously, good bye." she said, giving him a quick kiss then rushing out of hotel room.

- -

"What are they talking about?" Olivia wondered as they heard all of the boys laughing. All of the girls were sitting in the dark, their ears pressed up against the door that conected their's and they boys' rooms.

"No clue, but I _love_ this song!" Sapphire said. "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S." she sang softly.

"Is anybody else wondering why they're listening to Fergie?" Evangeline scoffed.

"So you really like her?" they heard Tancred ask.

"Yeah." they heard Lysander sigh dreamily.

"Who, who does he like?" Olivia hissed impatiently.

"I don't know. And you're on my hand!" Emma hissed.

"You know, I'd rather not talk about that." Lysander said. "So, Gabriel, Tancred tells me you finally got some action with Evie." Evangeline blushed in the dark and every one looked at her.

"You kissed him? Or was it something else?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, we kissed." Evangeline told her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sapphire asked, "I told you about Tancred. Why didn't you tell me about Gabriel?"

"What about Tancred?" Emma asked, confused.

"We kissed ... again."

"So, Tancred are you finally going to ask Sapphire out?" Gabriel asked on the other side of the door.

Sapphire's ears perked up.

"I don't know, maybe if she'll let me."

"What do you mean?" Lysander asked.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Sapphire asked quietly.

"I don't know. She just seems really distant and out of it. I mean, she started to laugh when I kissed her today!" Tancred said.

"You kissed her?" Lysander said.

"Yeah." Tancred sighed. "You know, I think I love her." Sapphire's eyes widened in the dark. _Love_ she mouthed the sacred and or evil word, depending on your view. Lysander snorted. "Hey, shut it Sander!"

"Tanc, you have dated several girls, and four out of five times, you say that you think that you love them." Lysander said. "What do you know about love anyway?"

"A lot actually!" Tancred said and Lysander snorted again.

"Lysander, just be quiet. You don't even have someone to love!" Gabriel snapped. Evangeline was taken aback. She'd never heard him snap at a friend before.

"What, now you going to say that you love Evie?" Lysander asked sarcasticly. Evangeline felt her face flame.

"I don't know. I mean, it's close, but not actual love yet." There was a pause. "Either way, I'm going to bed."

"I'm going to bed too." Evangeline said, still blushing.

"G'night." all her frieds murmered, still trying to listen to Tancred and Lysander's conversation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTEST TIME!!!!!!!!

Okay, here's the thing. We have a two new characters coming in. One is an eight-year-old girl. The other is fifteen-year-old boy. Whoever sends in the first correct answers gets to name them and we will send them special information concerning the character's before the chapters! The questions ... are song lyrics!!!! If you can guess all three song titles, you can name the girl. Get the artists, you can name the boy. The first review to get it right will be contacted and recognized in the first chapter including the new characters. 

1.) "Talk to the mirror, oh choke back tears

And keep telling your self that, 'I'm a DIVA!'!"

2.) "Your dog would much rather

Play fetch by itself

You still live with your mom

And you're forty-two!"

3.) "I know I'm young

But if I had to choose her or the sun

I'd be one nocturnal son of a gun!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven**

_Note: Dear Readers, I am terribly sorry that I haven't posted for so long. I've had so many things going on and now, I've finally gotten the inspiration to continue writing. This chapter right here's just a little bit of fun that was awesome for me to right. Next chapter, back to buisness! I'm sorry to my contest winners, but I will no longer be using the names you selected. Without further explinations, the story continues..._

"What time did you girls go to bed last night?" Liam asked the next morning at breakfast.

"Well, I went to bed around one. I don't know what time Olivia, Emma, and Sapphire got to bed. When I left, the three of them were huddled around the door to the boys' room with their ears pressed up against it, listening to Tancred and Lysander." Evangeline said, sipping her orange juice. She smirked as Tancred's, Lysander's, and Gabriel's eyes all widened. "Just so you guys know, I went to bed right when Gabriel did." She informed the boys.

"I told you we should have been quieter!" Lysander hissed through his embarassment.

"Well, how was I suppossed to know that four girls were going to be listening to our _private_ conversation!" Tancred whined.

"Well, next time you know." Sapphire said with a smug smile as she took a bite of her bagel.

"Yeah." Tancred said, sounding a tad upset.

"Now Tancred, don't get touchy about it. I'm surprised you geniuses didn't think to listen in on us!" Sapphire rolled her eyes.

"Now, now, Sapphire. Remember, it's not geniuses, it's geni." Olivia told her and the girls and Liam all burst into giggles while Tancred scowled and Lysander and Gabriel blushed.

- -

That night, indeed, the boys sat with their ears pressed up against the door. But Sapphire, Evangeline, Emma, and Olivia were ready.

"So, Evie, how are things going with Gabriel?" the guys heard Olivia ask.

"Oh, it's not going so great. I think I'm going to break up with him tomorrow." Evangeline said. Tancred and Lysander looked over at Gabriel as his eyes widened.

"Oh, why?" Emma asked.

"He brought his gerbils!" Evangeline said with a sigh. "I just don't think he likes me as much as he used to. He's getting quite annoying, too. It seems like every time I turn around, there he is! He's mean to his little sisters too! It's actually rather cute with how Mai calls his endowment his 'oddness' and he just goes and hits her. God, think how he'd be with our kids!"

"It's too bad. He's really nice." Sapphire said.

"Why don't you date him then? Oh yeah, that's right. You have Tan-cred!" Evangeline said in a sing-song voice.

Sapphire snorted, "Yeah, right."

"What's wrong with Tancred?" Olivia asked.

"He's pathetic! I mean, wouldn't you think a guy that over-confident would have some self-control. I think he's ADHD or something." Sapphire sighed. "I told him that I started laughing when he kissed me the other day because it was just unbelievable. But I lied. It's mainly because it was _so_ pathetic!"

"Be nice!" Evangeline said.

"Yeah, be nice!" Tancred said on the other side of the door.

"This has been oh-so-fun!" Sapphire said and opened the door and the boys came tumbling in.

"You mean, all that was a ... joke?" Tancred asked.

"Yup." Sapphire smiled with pride. "You have no idea how fun this has been."

"Gabriel, I am so sorry!" Evangeline laughed, "We just couldn't pass up the chance. We knew you'd be listening! I am so sorry!"

"It's okay, it's okay." he said, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Do you really think I'm pathetic?" Tancred asked, wide-eyed.

Sapphire chuckled and hugged him. "Of course not!" she laughed.

"Now that this whole thing's over, I'm going to bed." Evangeline laughed as she kissed Gabriel lightly on the lips.

"G'night." Gabriel said as she walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Olivia snorted. "I can't believe you guys actually fell for that crap! Literally feel, too."

"Yeah, well," Tancred said, rather mad, as he tried to think of a good come back, but couldn't.

"Oh, Tancred come on! It was just a little bit of fun!" Sapphire said, hugging him again. "I'm sorry." she said.

"Apology accepted." he said, shrugging her off. "I'm going to bed." he said, still rather angry, and kissed Sapphire. "Night." he waved.

"Night." they all said.

"I actually thought it was kind of funny." Lysander said and everyone left in the room cracked up.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

_Note: By this chapter, the group has been in NYC for nearly three weeks._

"Sapphire, are you ready yet?" Evangeline demanded, pounding her fist on the closed bathroom foor. Her hair was wet, nearly dripping. She'd only gotten out of the shower ten minutes ago and the second she was decently dresse, Saphire had shoved her out of the bathroom.

"Evie, stop!" Sapphire whined from inside the bathroom. "I'm getting ready! I want to impress her." For the past days, leading up to the meeting with their mother (who still had no idea they were in America, about ready to meet her) as her. Not Naomi, not Adara, and definetly not Mom. Today was their meeting day.

"Fine, I'm going next door!" Evangeline shouted at the closed door. She grabbed her makeup bag, change of clothes, and anything else she needed. She pounded on the door conjoining the boys and girls' room. "Open the door!" she screeched.

"Good god, woman!" Tancred said, opening the door, still in his flannel pajama bottoms and t-shirt. "You could wake the dead. What do you want?" he asked. Evangeline didn't answer, just pushed past him and stormed into the bathroom. Gabriel, who was sleeping on the floor that night, looked up when she nearly tripped over him and jumped up and followed her into the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" Gabriel asked, closing the door behind him.

"You know I don't do well under pressure." she answered, standing in the bathtub with the curtain pulled shut as she changed.

"That stressed, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it." she sighed, stepping out of the bathtub wearing a nice pair of dark jeans and a pale pink button up blouse, open over a lacey white tank top. "Nice enough?" she consulted.

"Beautiful." he said with a smile, truly meaning it.

"Thanks. It's just what I need." she said, turning on her hair drier and neither of them tried to talk over the loud blast.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you guys?" he asked as she applied her mascara.

"Yeah, it's a family thing, Gabe." Evangeline said with a greatful smile. "Thanks though."

"No problem." he said. "Come here." he said, notioning her forward and wrapping her in a warm embrace.

"Thanks, Gabriel." she said, kissing him. "I'm going to go over and make sure Emma and Livvy are up now."

"No problem." Gabriel said, smiling down at her. "Call when you leave, we'll have food ready for you when you get back."

"Sorry for waking you guys up!" Evangeline said, waving to Tancred and Lysander who were now asleep again.

"Shut it." Tancred said groggily.

- -

The minute Sapphire emerged from the bathroom, Liam knocked on the door. Sapphire opened the door and was amazed by his appearance. She hadn't seen him look so good since his senior prom.

His normally tousled dark blonde hair was combed for once and he was clean shaven. He wore a light blue button down shirt and khaki pants, along with his trademark sneakers.

"Sharp." Sapphire said, inspecting him.

"Thanks. You girls ready?" Liam asked, looking around the messy hotel room.

"Yeah. Liam, were we going to stop and get some breakfast?" Evangeline asked, her stomach rumbling.

"Yeah, I guess we could." Liam shrugged.

"Can we wait like, two minutes?" Sapphire asked. When Liam shrugged, she dashed into the boys' room. "Tancred, are you awake?" she whispered.

"Yeah and why are you guys making so much noise over there?" he asked, rolling onto his back.

"Sorry." she mumbled. "We're about to leave. Just thought I come and say good-bye."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight." he said, kissing her lightly.

"Bye." she said with a small smile as she walked out the door.

"Now can we go?" Liam asked, when she returned to her own room.

"Yeah, I suppose." Sapphire sighed as she pulled her new American Eagle tote bag over her shoulder.

- -

Once in the car, after stopping at a McDonalds for some breakfast, and a gas station for gas and more than a few Rockstar energy drinks, which the girls had become addicted to, they were on the highway.

The three of them had a long drive ahead of them. Their mother lived in up-state New York, a town called Massena. Evangeline had called shot-gun as Liam drove, while Sapphire sat contently in the back, listening to her Ipod and flipping through a high fashion magazine.

"Liam, you were supposed to turn there." Evangeline said, looking at the GPS device attached to the dashboard of the rental car.

"Yeah, but there's another turn we can and will take." Liam said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Yeah, if you don't miss that one, too." Evangeline snorted.

"Dammit Evie, I did not miss the bloody road, I purposely didn't take it." Liam said, his anger growing to a rather dangerous level.

"Fine." Evangeline said, turning her head to look out the window so she didn't have to look at her brother. Liam didn't like long car trips. They made him entirely too irritable and Evangeline wondered if it was safe for him to be driving while so tense.

After a half hour of akward silence, other than Sapphire leaning into the front seat occasionally to ask what Evangeline thought of an outfit in her magazine, Liam broke the silence.

"Evie, can I ask you a question?" he asked, sounding rather nervious.

"Yes, of course." Evangeline answered, turning finally to look at him

"Is it completely and utterly pedophile-ish for me to be romanticly attracted to Olivia." Liam asked, biting his lower lip. Evangeline giggled. Whenever her brother talked about his own relationships, he seemed to use weird terms, and she thought it was rather funny.

"I wouldn't think so. Though you're nearly twenty-one and she is nearly seventeen, four years isn't much of a stretch. Besides, Olivia is very mature for her age." Evangeline said, "Why, are you 'romanticly attracted' to her?" she asked, using air-quotes.

"It is a ... possibility." Liam said, lowering his voice.

"Is that code for yes?" Evangeline asked, looking over at him, smiling. "I'll talk to her."

"You know, that's not really necessary." Liam said, sounding insecure.

"I don't have a problem with it. If you like her, then why not?" Evangeline asked.

"Could you just, I don't know, be quiet?" Liam asked, getting testy again.

"Fine." Evangeline said sharply, reclining the seat, preparing for a nap. She glanced at the clock. Nearly noon. They had set out around ten. Still another two hours.

Just as she closed her eyes, her cell phone beeped twice and vibrated in her pocket. She sighed and pulled it out, flipping open her phone, she read the text message. **E, miss you. Call my cell. G.**

Evangeline smiled to herself, and dialed her boyfriends cell phone number.

"Hi." Gabriel said, answering the phone.

"Hey, I got your text. I was just about asleep, too." Evangeline complained playfully.

"Oh, sorry." Gabriel said over the phone.

"No, really, it's okay. I was lonely anyway. Liam's being an ass, and I think Sapphire's asleep."

"You know, I can hear you." Liam said beside her.

She rolled her eyes and continued to talk.

"So where are you at now?" Gabriel asked.

"The GPS thingy say we just passed through a town called Lake Pleasant. It didn't look very pleasant. It was raining, in fact, it's still raining. The whole place seemed rather dreary and depressing." she said, frowning in displeasure.

"Well, remind me never to go there." Gabriel teased.

"Oh, I will." Evangeline teased back.

"What time do you think you'll be back?" he asked.

"Well, we're about halfway there, so it'll take another two hours to get there. That'll leave us at two. We'll probably stay until four or five. Then the four hour drive back, so about nine. I miss you." Evangeline said, smiling sadly.

"I miss you, too. Well, I'm going to let you go. We're about to grab some lunch." Gabriel said. "Call me when you get there."

"I will. And I'll call you when we leave. Bye." she said.

"Bye." he said and she shut the phone. 

- -

"Can I help you?" a man with silvery white and twinkling brown eyes said as he answered the door, dusting his hands of flour.

"Um, yes. We were hoping to speak to someone. We were told she lived at this address. A certain woman by the name of Marnie O'Harrin?" Sapphire said politely, using the name Paton had given them.

"Ah, yes. My wife." the man said. "May I ask who's here to speak to her?"

"We'd rather it be a surprise." Liam said, from behind Sapphire.

"Yes, of course. One moment." the man said, disappearing into the extremely large house.

"Well, I guess Mommy found herself a little sugar daddy." Liam exhaled, holding back a laugh.

"Liam!" Evangeline chastised.

"What? Mom's only forty-three. That guy is at the least sixty! And did you see the size of this house?" Liam whispered hastily, due to the increasingly loud footsteps.

"Hello. How may I..." their mother, now Marnie, said, her voice catching in her throat as she realised who they were. "Liam?" she gasped. "Evangeline, Sapphire?"

Saphire, whose eyes were beginning to burn with tears, nodded.

Their mother, whose once radiant dark red hair was now dyed a dark shade of blonde. Her once green orbs for eyes were now fitted with brown contact lenses. Other than that, she still looked the same. She was wearing an apron over jeans, similar to the ones Evangeline was wearing, and a green button down shirt. She had a smudge of flour on her nose and several dots of flower in her now blonde hair. She spoke with an American accent, but you could still hear the English accent in the mix.

"Come in, come in!" she urged, helping Evangeline out of her coat. "Nathaniel, Mikah, Miyla, come here!"

"Marnie, darling, what is it?" The man who answered the door asked, as the came out from the kitchen followed by two children, a boy and a girl, about six trotted after him.

"Come here, there's some people I'd like for you to meet." Marnie said excitedly. "Liam, Evie, Sapphire, this my husband, Nathaniel." she said, placing her hand on the older man's shoulder. "And these are my twins, Mikah and Miyla. They just turned seven." she said, placing a hand on each of the childrens heads, much to their dismay. They both had light brown hair and blue eyes, as dark as the midnight sky. The girl, Miyla, smiled shyly.

"Nathaniel, Mikah, Miyla, these are my other children. This is Liam. He turned twenty-one, not too long ago. Then this is Evangeline, she's seventeen. And lastly, Sapphire who's nearly sixteen."

"Marnie, what's the meaning of this?" Nathaniel asked, sounding rather angry.

"Darling, they're from a previous relationship, years ago. Now, would you mind finishing those cookies and banana bread while we have a talk?" Marnie asked.

"Fine. Mikah, Miyla, come." Nathaniel said, walking stiffly back to the kitchen.

"Come, let's go back to my office." Marnie said, leading the way, back through the old, very large house. Once Marnie shut the double doors behind them, she said, "You girls look so grown up. I'm sure you both have boyfriends.

"Yes, we do." Sapphire said, smiling sweetly.

"What are their names?"

"Mine's name is Tancred Torsson. He's rather cocky and abnoxious. He can control the weather, and it get quite annoying, really." Sapphire said, giggling.

"Mine's name is Gabriel Silk. He's considered odd, but I like himjust fine. He can sense other people's feelings through their clothing." Evangeline explained.

Marnie nodded and an akward silence fell accross the room.

"How did you find me?" she sounded angry.

"Paton. He helped Evie and Sapphire figure out what you never told them before you 'died'!" Liam said, coming to his sisters' defense.

"Liam, be quiet. You three do not know the live I was forced to live!" Marnie said, extremely agrivated.

"Then why don't you tell us, we've got the time." Evangeline said shortly.

"Fine." Marnie said and took a deep breath. "I was mildly attracted to Paton Yewbeam in the beginning. His sisters, along with Mortola, decided we were a good match. They didn't care if we married, just as long as we were together and reproduced. I didn't like how things were, and against their wishes, I left Paton for Darius. Darius and I, along with newborn Liam, disappeared for a while. Once I resurfaced, Mortola forced me back to Paton.

"She told me if I didn't get back with Paton and have a baby, she'd kill Liam and Darius." Marnie paused. "Then I had you, Evangeline. Then, Mortola threatened me again. Then I had Sapphire. By the time Sapphire was one, the Yewbeams had set their eyes to Lyell Bone. I figured it was opperetune to leave then.

"After six years, Mortola was wanting me to get back with Paton. She believed that Paton and I were a much better match, due to the fact that were we both endowed. I decided I couldn't take it. I staged my death, and I'm not sure how Paton saw through the plan." Marnie paused again. "Liam, I'd like to speak to your sisters alone, please." she said.

Liam, rather awestruck by the roughly told story, nodded and left silently.

"Why did you try to find me?" Marnie asked.

"We thought you'd like to see us, that'd you'd like to know we were well." Sapphire struggled to get out.

"Well, you were wrong. I loved Liam. But did you not learn anything from my story?" she asked and when neither girl said anything, she continued. "The two of you were only born to keep Liam and Darius safe. I never had any attachment to you. I never wanted you." Marnie spat slowly, as if, somehow, they would not understand the words. "And you can feel free to go home and tell Paton that I never loved him either. The useless git will wallow in it for at least a month."

Sapphire stood up abroptly. Evangeline stood up beside her, incase restraining her sister might be needed. Evangeline could tell that her younger sister was difficultly restraining herself from hitting her mother. Evangeline didn't blame her, she would have liked to hit her herself, but had more self control.

Sapphire turned on her heel and left, followed closely by Evangeline who gave their mother one last hateful look before leaving herself.


	13. Chapter 13

HEY!!!!! I'm BACK! Sorry it took so long to update, but my best friend and idea supplier returned back from Michigain a week ago and she got me writing again! (YAY!) But, anyways, me and her have set up a myspace just for our FF readers. If you're interested, go to . We'll be adding character profiles and a bunch of other random stuff and feel free to look around! Enjoy the chapter!

Sapphire rolled over and opened her eyes. She saw her sister in the other bed, Gabriel sleeping on the couch, and Tancred in the chair that was pulled close to the bed.

She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She vaguely remembered Liam waking her up in the car then hugging Tancred when she got back up to the hotel room. That was it after the horrible encounter with her mother. Now that, she didn't want to think about.

How could she have spent all those years thinking it was her fault her mother was dead. She had cried so hard and nearly refused to go to the funeral. Now, years later when she was finally coming to terms that her mother, who she loved so much, was dead and wasn't coming back, she reappeared again, only to find out that she was only born to keep the man she thought was her father and her older brother alive, that her mother didn't even love her.

She'd never felt so low.

Then she felt a stab of hatred for her brother. He was loved. Now that she thought about it, she always did notice her mother giving more attention to Liam. And she hated him for it.

She felt guilty for thinking this, but now, she wished her mother actually was dead.

In the chair, Tancred stirred and opened his eyes. "Hey." he said, his voice dry.

"Morning." Sapphire said, giving him a sad smile.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, placing the back of his hand on her forehead.

"What do you mean?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"You honestly don't remember what happened last night?" Tancred asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, why? What happened?" she asked, her small smile fading.

"You had a really high fever, near 103 degrees. You were getting sick and we were getting really worried. You were delirious!" Tancred said. "We were about ready to take you to the hospital when you passed out and then your fever broke." he paused. "Sapphire, the whole thing was really scary. Evangeline broke out in tears because she was so worried about you."

Sapphire gave him a smile and said, "Well, I'm okay now."

"And I'm glad." he said, kissing her cheek and giving her a hug.

"So what was I saying that scared you guys so bad?" Sapphire asked, rather nervous about what the answer would be.

"You were just going on about how much you hated Liam, that he was lucky to be loved. You almost threw that lamp at him! Then you screamed for him to leave. Then you were just going on about how low you felt and how much you hated yourself and that you wished you'd die. Then you started yelling at Evie, about how much you hated her for being 'perfect' and you hated that she had the perfect life and that you hated everything about her. Then you said that Olivia was overly obnoxious and that Emma was too overly shy and that you thought that they were both stuck-up." Tancred said. "Then you went on to blame me for all the natural disasters in the world, like Hurricane Katrina and that tsunami a few years ago in Thiland. You had just turned your eyes on Gabriel when you collapsed."

"Oh my god. Tancred, I am so sorry. I seriously don't remember any of that, I swear!"

"I know, it's okay. You had a very traumatic day yesterday. It was just too much for you to handle, and with all those Rockstars mixed in, it just like, exploded. When your sister wakes up, you'll want to talk to her." Tancred said, sounding serious.

"What else did I say to her?" Sapphire asked, feeling sick for making her sister hurt so much.

"Not much more than I already said, but when you first lashed out at Liam, she burst into tears and the entire time you were sick, she was just sobbing, begging you to stop." Tancred said. "Sapphire, you really shook her up." he paused. "You collapsed around eleven and she was sobbing until midnight. She didn't fall asleep herself until nearly two, and before she did, she made me and Gabriel promise to not leave."

"Where'd Olivia and Emma sleep?" Sapphire asked, changing the subject.

"They took me, Gabriel, and Lysander's room and Sander slept in Liam's room with him." Tancred explained.

"I need to go talk to him." Sapphire said, throwing back the covers on the bed.

"Sapphire, you need to be careful!" Tancred warned, standing up from the chair.

"Tancred, I'm fine. I'm not sick anymore. I'm just going to change and go down there and talk to him. I'll be fine." she said, sifting through her suitcase for jeans and a shirt.

"I just don't want you to collapse and hit your head." Tancred protested.

"Tanc, I'll be fine. I'll leave the door open." she promised.

Five minutes later, she was knocking on her brother's door.

"What?" Liam asked, sounding sour.

"Can we talk?" Sapphire asked.

"Depends, are you going to threaten to throw a lamp at me again?" Liam asked, still sounding angry.

Sapphire offered him a smile. "I'm sorry."

"No problem." Liam said, with one of the smallest smiles Sapphire had ever seen.

"I really am sorry. If it helps, I don't even remember any of it." Sapphire said sadly.

"It's okay. You just had a really rough day." Liam said, excusing her.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Sapphire laughed dryly. "But I am really sorry. I didn't mean any of it."

"I know, sis, I know." Liam said, wrapping his arms around her.

"How bad was Evie?" she asked quietly when Liam released her.

"Bad." Liam said, "You'll definitely want to talk to here when she wakes up."

"I plan on it. Bye." she said, walking back to her room slowly.

When Sapphire got back to the room, Gabriel and Tancred were sitting on the couch talking.

"Where's Evie?" Sapphire asked franticly.

"In the shower." Gabriel said.

"Gabriel, I'm sorry about last night." Sapphire said, sitting down on her bed.

"No problem, you didn't really say anything about me. But I'm sure what ever you were about to say would have been too entirely pleasant." Gabriel joked.

"Yeah, same here. Tanc, whenever Evie gets out of the shower, will you come get me? I'm going over to talk to Emma and Livvy." Sapphire said before she walked through the door that conjoined the boys' and girls' rooms.

Only Olivia was up, sitting on the bed, flipping through a magazine. She was fully dressed while Emma was snoring quietly.

"Hi." Sapphire said, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she was. Olivia was someone you wanted to have on your team because you would not want to get on her bad side.

Olivia looked over the top of the magazine, rolled her eyes, and continured to flip through its pages.

"Olivia-" Sapphire started but Olivia cut her off.

"What, are you here to tell me how annoying and obnoxious I am again?" Olivia asked, her voice severely sharp.

"Olivia, I'm sorry!" Sapphire said, "I was sick, I didn't know what I was saying! I don't even remember any of it! You weren't there to hear what my mother said! She said that me and Evie were only born to keep my brother and Darius alive. How would you feel if your mother said that to you?" Sapphire said, anger rising in her.

Olivia didn't say anything. As she opened her mouth to speak, Tancred came into the room to announce that Evangeline was out of out of the shower.

Sapphire walked into the other room slowly. When she opened the door, Evangeline was laughing at something Gabriel said.

"I'll be in the other room." Gabriel said quietly and left.

"Evie, I just wanted to say how sorry I am about last night." Sapphire said, sitting down on the bed, beside her sister. "I didn't know what I was saying, and I didn't mean any of it. Evie, I don't even remember it any, I swear!"

Evangeline smiled sadly, "No, it's okay. It doesn't really even matter. I was just shook up, too. I knew you were sick, I was just worried and overly tired. I'm just glad Gabriel was here. We talked quietly until I was asleep. I made him swear he wouldn't leave. I'm sorry I over reacted last night."

"And I'm sorry if you took anything I said last night seriously. I could never hate you!" Sapphire said apologeticly.

"I know, I know." Evangeline said, understanding what her sster was saying.

"So, we're good?" Sapphire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Evangeline said, throwing her arms around her sister, both of them laughing quietly.

"I just want to go home. What say you?"

"Me say we go home." Evangeline said, giggling.

- -

"Dad?" Sapphire called, walking into their home back in England two days later.

"Dad, are you here?" Evangeline asked, walking farther into the living room.

"It's funny, his car's in the drive way." Sapphire said, wandering up the stairs.

"Keep looking. Maybe he's taking a nap or something." Evangeline said, following with their bags. "I'll put our stuff away."

"Evie." she heard Sapphire say.

"What?" she asked, coming up behind her sister who was standing at the doorway of their father's bedroom. "Oh my god!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Are you ready?" Gabriel asked, knocking on her door quietly before opening it slowly.

"Yeah, I guess so." Evangeline said, turning from the mirror to face her boyfriend, holding the ends of the sleeves of her thick black sweater.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together in concern as he walked toward her.

"As fine as I could be." she said with a sight, "My migrane's back."

"Yeah, that's just what you need today." Gabriel said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

It was now Saturday. When the girls had returned on Monday, they had found Darius, the man who they had thought was their father, dead in his bed of a supposed heart-attack. By Tuesday, everything was in a chaotic state. Evangeline had such a terrible migrane that she could hardly talk or even see, Sapphire had barely talked at all and spent all of her time at Tancred's, and Liam seemed to be in a daze.

Evangeline was fed up with the entire thing. By noon on Friday, her migrane had faded enough that she could function normally, but she was still in pain. Once she was able to get up and move around, she couldn't stand seeing Liam and Sapphire in such a state. They both just sat there, staring off into space, not saying a word, just sitting there.

Evangeline couldn't handle it. She had called Gabriel and asked to speak to his mother. On the phone, she asked Mrs. Silk if she would be able to stay the night there. Mrs. Silk had allowed her too, and Saturday morning, the day of Darius' funeral, Gabriel had driven her home and allowed her to get ready, coming back several hours later to pick her up.

"You going to be okay?" Gabriel asked when Evangeline faltered slightly as she walked.

"Yeah, I'll just taking some pain pills." she said, walking past him into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of pills that was nearly empty due to her consumption over the last few days. She took a sip of water and swallowed the pills.

"I thought you said those didn't help." Gabriel said, leaning against the cabinet beside her.

"Actually, I think they do. When I woke up on the days I had the migrane, it was so terrible, I almost blacked out completely, but when I took the pills, the severity subsided some what."

"I didn't realize how bad it was."

"Can we just leave and get this over with?" she asked, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Yeah, I suppose." Gabriel said. As Evangeline walked toward the side-door, Gabriel pulled her back and hugged her. At first, her body was tense against him, then her entire frame went lax and she held onto him for dear life. That's when she finally lost it.

Her face buried in his neck, she started to cry silently. All the stress of the last week finally amounted to this. For the last week, having to be the adult in the house, really wore down on her. Along with the migrane and the silence from Liam and Sapphire, she had no down time, except for the previous night.

After five minutes of sobbing, she let go of him. Watching her dry her eyes, he said, "Evie, it's going to be okay."

"I know." she said, her voice cracking slightly. She gave him a small smile. "I'm okay."

"Yeah, you are." Gabriel said, putting his hands on her small waist.

"Now your neck and collar are all wet." Evangeline said, placing a hand on the side of his neck.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Thank you, Gabriel." she said, looking up at him through tear ladden eyelashes.

"For what?"

"For everything." she said, moving closer to him. "For dealing with me for the last year almost. For waiting calmly those nine months before I kissed you. For even walking to the dance just to be with me." she paused. "Just for everything."

- -

"What is she doing here?" Sapphire asked through gritted teeth.

"Who?" Tancred asked, trying to follow Sapphire's vision line.

"It's _her_." Evangeline said with great disgust and Tancred and Gabriel knew who thay were talking about.

"What right does she have to be here?" Sapphire said, still glaring toward a cluster of trees where a woman with dark blonde hair hanging in her face, dressed in all black.

"That's just the thing, Sappphire. She doesn't have one." Evangeline said, scoffing.

Without a word, Sapphire strode toward the woman, a grim look spread across her face.

"Sapphire, lis--" Marnie started, Sapphire cutting her off.

"Get out of here." Sapphire spat at her mother.

"Sapphire, I wanted to apologize."

"Well, you can take that fake apology and shove it right up your hairy--"**(props to anyone who can tell me where that came from!)** Sapphire started.

"Sapphire!" Evangeline said, coming up beside her sister.

"Evie, talk some sense into your sister, make her listen to me!" Marnie begged her oldest, yet unwanted daughter.

"Now why would I do that? Why should we believe a single you say to us? It'd just be a lie. A lie like you you told us every damn night before bed that you loved us!" Evangeline shouted, tears springing to her eyes.

"Let me at least talk to the two of you futher. There were things left unsaid that needed to be said." Marnie said, a pleading look in her eyes.

"From what Evie and Sapphire have told us, everything that they needed to hear was already said." Tancred said, putting an arm around Sapphire's shoulders.

"Tancred, shut up, this doesn't concern you." Evangeline shot at her sister's boyfriend.

"Fine." Marnie said, straightening her jacket. "I'll just be going then. A word of advice, girls, watch out for Mortola."

- -

"So, what is going to be done about the girls?" Mortola asked that night, around ten, as she sipped her tea that was spiked with brandy.

"We'll continue living here. The girls will be going back to school in two weeks and will stay here on the weekends. We've already discussed this and none of us have any problems with it." Liam said, stirring his tea absent-mindedly.

"Liam, wouldn't that be a strain on you, having to deal with you work at college and your life-style in general." Mortola said, sounding concerned but Liam, Sapphire, and Evangeline could see right through the act.

"No, it won't. I've told the girls that we'd stay together and we've agreed on those terms." Liam said, glancing at the girls.

"Well, how about since Evangeline will be turning 18 in late September and will therefore, be of age, I take custody of Sapphire and you can keep Evangeline."

"No, absolutely not." Liam said standing up. "I refuse to let you split them up! I am their next of kin and Dad granted me custody in his will. You are simply their grandmother, I'm their guardian and I over-rule you."

Mortola simply laughed. "How are you fit to raise two growing, endowed children when you are simply an un-endowed, adolescent _fool_!" she shrieked. Sapphire glanced over at Evangeline in shock. "You think you are _so_ special, but you are _nothing_!"

"Leave him alone!" Evangeline shouted, her chair toppling over as she stood up suddenly. Mortola seemed to be shocked that Evangeline had shouted at her. "Get out, leave! You're not welcome here!"

"Fine." Mortola said tartly. "Just remember this conversation, Liam. I will get Sapphire." **(and your little dog too! lol, jk!)**

After Mortola slammed the door behind her, an akward silence hung in the air around the three siblings. Liam broke it.

"I'm not going to let her split you guys up, I promise." he said, sounding extremely sincere.

"I know, Liam, I know." Evangeline said, nodding as she picked up her chair. "Sapphire, are you alright?"

Sapphire, who had been staring off into space snapped her head toward her sister and said, "Hmm?"

"Never mind." Evangeline said, "I'm going to bed."


End file.
